At the meeting of the Kosovo Government, the Acting Minister of Trade and Industry, Arbëreshë Krasniqi, presented the Concept Document for the Field of Trade, a document that will regulate external and internal.
Ms Krasniqi has briefly outlined the Concept Document before the Government cabinet.
This is the full rationale of the Concept Document.
The need for drafting the Concept Document for the Field of Trade has emerged due to obstacles in the implementation of the current Law on Internal Trade and of the current Law on External Trade.
A substantial part of the Law on External Trade is now regulated by two other laws: the Law on Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Measures, the Law on Safeguard Measures on Imports and the Law on Services. While a considerable part of the Law on Internal Trade is regulated by several other sectorial laws such as: the Law on Consumer Protection, the Law on Protection of Competition, the Law on Market Inspectorate and Inspective Supervision, the Law on Food, the Law on General Product Safety, etc.
The main purpose of the proposed legislative changes is to update and amend the existing legislation regulating External Trade and Internal Trade in order to address the current constraints of the existing laws; improving the business environment through better regulation and alignment of national legislation with the best international practices and international commitments Kosovo has approved; in particular, the implementation of the EU acquis and of the SAA. Improved and modernized legislation in these two key areas of a market economy would promote economic growth and consumer well-being, increasing opportunities for Kosovo's business both in the international and local market.
Better regulation of the relationship between local suppliers/producers and retailers should increase the competitiveness of local products. Additional aims of proposed legislative changes are also directly linked with stronger regulation of uncompetitive business behaviour and better protection of consumer rights. Given the complexity of the issue as well as the urgent need for economic and legal reforms in the country, it is proposed to initiate the process of drafting the Law on Internal Trade during the second half of 2018.
Also, compliance with WTO, SAA and CEFTA rules and principles and would enable an advancement of the position of local producers in relation to traders, a higher economic development, an increased competitiveness and new jobs.
The Concept Document for the Field of Trade is in line with the objectives of the Government and MTI respectively, and is drafted in accordance with the procedures foreseen by Regulation No. 09/2011 of Rules and Procedure of the Government of Kosovo.
Given the complexity of the issue as well as the urgent need for economic and legal reform in the country, the Ministry of Trade and Industry proposes the approval of this Concept Document that regulates trade activities, including the rights and obligations of all market participants and of the institutions responsible for implementation of the legislation in question.